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THE JEWISH NEWS

incorporating The Detroit - Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951

Waiting for the News

Member American Association Of English—Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial
Association.
Published every Friday by The 'Jewish NeWs Publishing Co., 17
'est..-Peile Road, Detroit 48235
VE 8.9364. Subscription $6 a year. Foreign $7.
Second Class Postage Paid at Detroit, Michigan

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PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

SIDNEY SHMARAK

Business Manager

Advertising Manager

CHARLOTTE RYAMS

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the sixth day of Tishri, 5725, the following scriptural selections
will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal - portion: Deist. 31:1-30; Prophetical portion: Hosea 14:2-10, Micah
7:18-20, Joel 2:15-27.

jilt

avm ei tivAv iPiR iffe e

Licht benshen, Friday, September 11, 6:30 p.m.

Yom Kippur Scriptural Selections
Pentateuchal portions: •Wednesday morning, Levit. 16:1-34, Num. 29:7-11; after-
noon, Levit. 18:1-30.
.
' Prophetical poriion
Wednesday morning, Isaiah 57:14-58:14; afternoon, Jonah
1:1-4:11, Micah 7:18-20.

VOL. XLVI, No. 3

Page 4

September 11, 1964

The Imperishable Spirit of Yom Kippur

A ten-day period of repentance ends with
a special festival at the Volga River. The
Yom Kippur, on Wednesday.
Czar was there to welcome the youths he had
On that day we will repeat the ancient
captured. When he was told it was the eye
assertion of faith that "Penitence, Prayer of Yom Kippur, he rejoiced. He and the gen-
and Charity will avert the evil decree."
erals rubbed their hands: that was the time
Preceding the Yamim Neraim—the Days
for them to meke- merry—to make converts,
of Penitence—we also had the introductory
to force the children into Christianity.
Selihot services during which we began the
The Czar himself addressed the children.
plea .for forgiveness and commenced the He told them that a great day was awaiting
holiest period on our calendar by chanting them—that they were about to come to the
the sacred themes contained in the prayers
faith that would redeem them and make
for penitence. In one of them we recited:
them happy—that they were to go into the
The soul is Thine, 0 Lord our God,
Holy Days
water, immerse themselves as an act of bap- Timely
The body is a gift from Thee;
tism and then return to kiss the cross, to
Forgive our sins for Thine own sake,
acknowledge that they had become Chris-
In mercy heed our fervent plea.
tians.
Our soul, our flesh, Thy hand has wrought,
The 300 youngsters shouted for joy: of
Our lives we ever owe to Thee;
course they wished to be purged e of their
Our sins' forgive for Thine own sake,
sins, of course they wanted to be penitent!
In mercy heed our fervent plea.
And so they stepped into the water—
Thus, the Holy Days are marked by poetic shouting the prayers they knew! Some were
,beauty as well as by revealing asseverations
very young and knew only the Motzi. They
volumes issued by the Jonathan David publishink house
of loyalty to our failth.
recited that. Others knew the Modeh Ani. 131 Two
E. 23rd, NY 10) are most timely for this period on the Jewish
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These were their prayers. The Czar was gloat- calendar.
There is great significance in the Yom
ing. The youngsters stepped into the water.
In one of them, Dr. Sidney Greenberg. of Philadelphia's
Kippur ritual. During the Mussaf service we
They marched on—and on—and on. The Sinai, Who has already distinguished himself with a series Temple
of im-
read from the prayer that was recited by
Czar waited. He and his generals thought pressive books 'Treasury of Comfort, Treasury of Jewish Thoughts,
the High Priest when he left the Holy of
the boys wanted a complete cleansing.
Treasury . of the Art of Living), incorporates many impressive ideas in
Holies and declared:.
Then they realized what had happened: a series of 22 sermons "on the art of living" appearing in a volume
"May it be thy will, 0 Lord our God and
the young zealots would rather go into the entitled "Finding Ourselves."
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the . God of our fathers, that this year that
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depth of the sea than submit to forced con-
The other volume is "Best Jewish Sermons of 5723-5724." edited
hath now arrived may be unto us and unto
version. That is how it has been with the
all thy people, the house of Israel, a year
martyrs of Israel. That is how it was with by Rabbi Saul J. Teplitz of Sons of Israel Congregation, Woodmere,
N.Y
of plenteous store . . . a year of plenty, a
the young cantonists of 125 years ago.
Dr. Greenberg makes the interesting observation in introductory
year of happiness; a year in which thou
Even the cruel Czar was forced to ex-
comments to his new book that while, as indicated in Koheleth, "of
wilt bless the fruit of the womb and the
claim: these are really heroes!
the making of books there is no end."' he has to answer those who
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fruit of our land; a year in which thou wilt
sermons, and he maintains that "the modern Jew's need
blesS our going out and our coming in; a
Indeed, of such stuff Jewish heroism was deprecate
for emotional stimulation and spiritual inspiration is answered
year in which thou shalt save our assem-
made—unyielding, loyal, devoted!
better through the medium of the sermon than by the lecture."
bly; a year in which thy m rcies shall be
Such is the idealism of Yom Kippur— He quotes from Herman Melville's "Moby Dick": "The pulpit
moved toward us; a year peace and tran-
leads the world!" to emphasize his point.
that rejects apostasy and holds fast to faith.
quility; a year in whit -thou shalt bring
Nearly all of the sermons in Rabbi Greenberg's collection were
It is in such a spirit of undeviating loyalty
us up rejoicing to our land: a year in which
that Yom Kippur has been and continues to delivered on Holy Days. He marks a Yom Kippur theme as "collee-
thou wilt open unto us thy good treasury;
be observed. May it continue to serve as an itive stock-taking." He offers inspiration on the art of holding on and
a year ilt which thy people, the house of
inspiration to all Israel and may it inspire the on the art of waiting, and he admonishes that "daily happiness comes
the quiet. simple and normal satisfactions." He advises against
Israel, may not be in need of support, one
faith that makes our people imperishable. from
looking for the spectacular, proposing: "Pleasant hours with our loved
" . from the other, nor from another people,
• ones, moments lived in the presence of great spirits whose works we
in that thou wilt set a blessing upon the
read or hear. a bit of study, a regular act of kindness, working for a
work of their hands."
communal cause, a few minutes of daily prayer."
Results
of
the
primary
election
provide
There are man ly elements of social im-
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cause for serious concern about the thinking
portance in the Atonement Day's prayers,
"Disturbing the comfortable," a Rosh Hashanah sermon, is es-
of our constituents.
pecially timely, in v - ew of what has happened in many American
which are directed as appeals in behalf of the
Americans are basically just, they seek cities as a result f vandalism and disorders. , Another impressive
People Israel as solicitations for the welfare
fair play, they would drive athletes who re- New Year sermon is "Finding Ourselves," on which the author based
, of mankind.
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the title for his look. It calls for increased study of the Torah, Sab-
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sort to foul play off the playing grounds.
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Yet, a majority of Detroit's citizens last bath observance, introduction of poetry and pageantry in Jewish
The Day of Atonement must primarily be
week supported a proposal that is immoral, homes, thereby enriching them with our traditional etry.
viewed as one of rededication, All Jews re-
The titles mentioned are mere samples of an inspi ing and in-
that aims not in defense of a human purpose
affirm their loyalties to their kinsmen and
but to prevent other fellow-humans from spired book by a noted rabbi.
to their faith on this day. There are many
In the best Jewish sermons delivered during 5723-24. as set
receiving a fair chance in life.
Jews who have reduced their observances to
by Rabbi Teplitz, are included addresses by 30 American rabbis,
The voters in last week's election, while
a minimum, so that there has been created
Conservative and Reform.
indicating that they knew and understood
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the term "The Yom Kippur Jew." We dO not
other proposals i on the ballot, saw fit to turn
'encourage such reductions in loyalty to a
On; of them is by the editor of this collection, Rabbi Teplitz's
down a request for extra millage—a mere topic b ing "Life's Tests."
one-day observance elemental in so many of
our people. Nevertheless, even the Yom Kip- pittance — for the extension of our school
Among the best known of the older rabbis in American Jewry
system. By providing additional facilities for chosen 'for inclusion in this book is Dr. David de Sola Pool, who is repre-
pr Jew retains a great loyalty to faith.
high schools we would have assured elimina- sented by the sermon, "The Democracy of Holiness."
Major in dedication, however, is the devo-
tion of strife. Instead, we are retaining our
A variety of subjects is covered in the volume. Democratic ideals,
tion of those who never swerve from faith.
status quo of educational backwardness.
issues of our time, the Jewish festivals and other topics are covered.
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While emphasis in this collection is on the Holy Days, such
These two acts prove that there is need
The best example of such dedicdtion is further
to . educate our fellow-citizens in the subjects as technology and issues affecting all Americans are part
inherent in a famous legend that may well
path of tolerance, good will and common ef- of the over-all coverage in the book.
be based on truth because incidents like it
There were sermons on "the purstiit of pleasure," prayer, sin and
fort for the best interests of the entire people.
have been repeated in our history.
guilt, love and comfort and matters relating to the home, the family.
There
were
two
heartening
results
in
the
society.
The legend relates to the era of Czar election: the overwhelming vote given A. L.
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Nicholas I of Russia who had instituted a
Zwerdling, the able lawyer with a deep social
The rabbis in addition to de Sola Pool and Teplitz whose sermons
policy of capturing. Jewish children, of
sense, who was nominated for the Board of have been selected for inclusion in this collection are:
forcing their conversion to Christianity, of
Education, and the nomination for Congress
Kassel Abelson, Asher Block, William G. Braude, Samuel Chief,
retaining them as "Nikolayevskiye Soldati"— of John D. Dingell, the public-spirited and Simon
A. Dolgin, Abraham J. Feldman, Israel Gerstein, Roland B.
as Nicholas' soldiers—for 25 years. They
kind-hearted official who has such a fine Gittelsohn, Simon Glustrom, Sidney Greenberg, Earl A. Grollman,
were cared cantonists.
Jay Kaufman, Alfred A. Kolatch, Harold S. Kushner, Philip Lipis,
record of U.S. representative.
e special occasion about which the
We need to continue to educate our peo- Jacob Milgrom, Hayim Goren Perelmuter, Stanley Rabinowitz, Bernard
S. Raskas, Jack Riemer, Solomon Roodman, Charles E. Shulman,
legends told, 300 of these little cantonists
ple, so that our high standards of political Samuel
Silver, Hillel Silverman, Baruch Silverstein, A. Alan Stein-
were gathered on the eve of Yom Kippur at action may never be lowered.
bach, Harry Z. Sky and Aaron M. Wise.

2 Volumes of Sermons, 'Finding
Ourselves' by Dr. Greenberg and
'Best of 5724' Edited by Teplitz

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